Gluten is a storage protein found in certain grains (e.g., wheat, barley, rye) and wheat variants (e.g., triticale, spelt, kamut) but not in others (e.g., oats, rice, corn). (L. M. Tierney, Jr., S. J. McPhee, and M. A. Papadakis, eds. (2003), Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: 585-587). Close to 15% of the total weight of a grain is comprised from gluten proteins. (U.S. 2002/0165125 A1).
A great deal of commercially available food contains gluten. People with malabsorption disorders suffer from a disruption of digestion and nutrient absorption. One such disorder is celiac disease.
Celiac disease (also known as gluten enteropathy or celiac sprue) is a disease in which inflammatory responses to the ingestion of gluten damage the proximal small intestinal mucosa and result in malabsorption of most nutrients. Gluten is hypothesized to stimulate an inappropriate T cell-mediated immune response in the intestinal submucosa that destroys mucosal enterocytes. (L. M. Tierney, Jr., S. J. McPhee, and M. A. Papadakis, eds. (2003), Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: 585-587). Characteristic symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal distention, weakness, muscle wasting, growth retardation, and malnutrition. (L. M. Tierney, Jr., S. J. McPhee, and M. A. Papadakis, eds. (2003), Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: 585-587). Other symptoms that may occur even in the absence of the above symptoms, include fatigue, short statute, osteoporosis, dental enamel hypoplasia, and iron deficiency anemia. (L. M. Tierney, Jr., S. J. McPhee, and M. A. Papadakis, eds. (2003), Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: 585-587). Approximately 10% of celiac disease patients suffer neurological complications including ataxia and peripheral neuropathy. R. L. Chin, H. W. Sander, T. H. Brannagan, P. H. Green, A. P. Hays, A. Alaedini, N. Latov (2003), Celiac Neuropathy, Neurology, 60(10): 1581-1585). In addition, a cutaneous variant of celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, exists. In this manifestation, patients suffer from a skin rash of pruritic papulovesicles over the extensor surfaces of the extremities, trunk, scalp, and neck. (L. M. Tierney, Jr., S. J. McPhee, and M. A. Papadakis, eds. (2003), Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: 585-587).
The prevalence of celiac disease in the United States is estimated to be 1:150 (M. Michael (2003), Recognizing and managing celiac disease in primary care, J. Am. Acad. Nurse Pract., 15(3): 108-114.), although whites of Northern European ancestry are afflicted at a higher rate than are those with African and Asian ancestry. (L. M. Tierney, Jr., S. J. McPhee, and M. A. Papadakis, eds. (2003), Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: 585-587).
To date, no medical treatment exists to eliminate the physiological response and consequent damage to intestinal mucosa following gluten ingestion. Thus, gluten sensitivities cannot be cured. Elimination of all gluten from the diet is essential. L. M. Tierney, Jr., S. J. McPhee, and M. A. Papadakis, eds. (2003), Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: 585-587). Thus, the only treatment available is compliance with a life-long gluten-free diet, which alleviates the symptoms of the disease and allows the intestinal mucosa to heal. (A. S. Abdulkarim and J. A. Murray (2003), The diagnosis of coeliac disease, Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther., 17(8): 987-95). Non-compliance with a gluten-free diet can result in recurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms, neuropathic symptoms, and/or other potentially life-threatening consequences.
Because of the widespread usage of gluten-containing grains in commercially available foods, people with gluten sensitivity are restricted in the foods available to them. One purpose of this invention is to provide organic, gluten-free alternatives to commercial food products containing gluten. Another purpose of this invention is to teach recipes for organic, gluten-free broths and pre-mixes which may be used as the base to create additional gluten-free food items.
Broths
Commercially available soups frequently include wheat flour or a gluten-containing wheat flour substitute as a thickening agent. Thus, individuals sensitive to gluten have few options for a tasty, yet safe-to-eat soup. In addition, a need exists for an organic gluten-free broth that can be used as a base for other gluten-free food items.
U.S. 2003/0203096 teaches a universal based sauce base with a bland and non-sour flavor which can be used in a wide variety of food applications. This sauce base, however, is not gluten-free.
A number of commercially available gluten-free products and recipes are available in stores and through the internet.
One recipe freely available on the internet provides instructions for a soup snack that instructs one to “[t]ake your fresh veg-any sort, any mixture-get lucky. Cook em (less than you would normally-steaming is best) add garlic (LOADS), extra virgin olive oil (LOADS), coconut oil (LOADS), fresh herbs, retain any liquid or add filtered water. Liquidase. Sprinkle fresh herbs, watercress, celery leaves, chopped radish, garlic, onions, ginger on top.” (http://www.panix.com/˜paleodiet/list/soups.htm). This recipe does not provide satisfactory information about the proportions of the ingredients, and as such does not enable a cook to reliably reproduce a tasty soup. In addition, the recipe does not restrict ingredients to gluten-free oils and vegetables. In addition, this soup retains solid vegetables within the broth rather than simmering vegetables to imbue the bouillon with the taste of vegetables.
Gluten-free bouillon cubes are commercially available (Celifibr Vegetable Medley Bouillon and Harvest Sun Low Sodium Vegetable Bouillon Cubes, both available at http://www.glutenfreemall.com). The Celifibr cubes contain organic vegetable and spice blends, sea salt, maltodextrin (from corn), molasses, yeast extract, and sunflower oil in dehydrated form. The Harvest Sun cubes contain yeast extract, organic potato starch, non-hydrogenated palm oil, organic vegetables, sea salt, and organic herbs in dehydrated http://www.glutenfreemall.com). The Celifibr cubes contain organic vegetable and spice blends, sea salt, maltodextrin (from corn), molasses, yeast extract, and sunflower oil in dehydrated form. The Harvest Sun cubes contain yeast extract, organic potato starch, non-hydrogenated palm oil, organic vegetables, sea salt, and organic herbs in dehydrated form. Both preparations require reconstitution before use. Thus, a need exists in the market for a freshly prepared organic, gluten-free bouillon preparation.
Pre-Mixes
Pre-mixes containing ingredients to easily and rapidly prepare food items and even meals are commercially available. A large number of these items contain wheat flour and are therefore unsuitable food choices for gluten-sensitive individuals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,294 (Bunke et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,984 (Ekanayake et al.) disclose shelf stable complete pre-mixes. These inventions require separate dry and aqueous components that are later mixed.
Thus, a need exists for an organic, gluten-free pre-mix that can be used as a base for the rapid preparation of healthy, gluten-free food items.
Snack Foods
Adults and children afflicted by gluten allergies or intolerance have few snack food choices. Most baked goods, and most non-sweet snack foods are made with gluten-containing flour. Thus, a need exists for tasty savory snack foods that can be safely consumed by those intolerant to gluten. Commercially available gluten-free snack foods tend to replace gluten-containing flour with substitute flours containing corn, soy, or other non-gluten-containing grains. One purpose of this invention is to teach a recipe for tasty, organic, gluten-free snacks that provide a healthy alternative to sugar-heavy snacks without gluten such as candy.
One commercially available recipe describes how to make golden crispbreads that are gluten-free. These crispbreads are potato-based baked chip-like food items, and are primarily non-gluten flour based. The recipe uses ground rice, corn flour (cornstarch), gram (chickpea) flour, salt, caster sugar, polyunsaturated margarine, fresh mashed potato, and water. (R. Greer (2001), Easy Gluten-Free Cooking, Thorsons, London: 42-43). The recipe does not provide vegetable nutrients or enable a cook to vary the savory flavoring of the snack.
The ingredients for another gluten-free recipe for crackers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,366 B1 (Fitzpatrick) (citing E. Baker and E. Baker (1980), The Uncook Book, Communication Creativity, Saguache, Colo.). The millet cracker recipe discloses how to sprout millet and flaxseed before grinding and adding salt and poppy seeds. As noted in the '366 patent, however, no instructions are provided as to what to do after adding the salt and poppy seeds. In addition, the recipe discloses a seed based cracker, but does not teach how to incorporate fresh vegetables or other savories.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,522 (Seeds et al.) discloses a snack chip composition having a peak flavor protein roux which involves caramelizing a flour or particulate vegetable source. These crackers are not, however, gluten-free.
Two brands of gluten-free crackers are commercially available at http://www.glutenfreemall.com. Glutano crakers (maize) are described as “delicious crispy crackers” containing maize starch, rice flour, soya flour, vegetable fat, sugar, salt, guar gum, yeast, and sodium carbonate. Nu-World Foods Amaranth Chili Lime Snackers contain amaranth flour, tapioca flour, evaporated cane juice, tomato powder, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, vegetable oil (cold pressed canola oil or sunflower oil), natural flavors, sea salt, citric acid, and calcium citrate. Both of these crackers are created using gluten-free wheat flour substitutes, and both contain preservatives. No gluten-free fresh vegetable crackers appear to be on the market.
All patents noted above are herein incorporated by reference.